Small Steps: What is Jesus saying to me in the Word?

Luke 24:36-49

Listening guide

Easter is not just a letter from a law firm.... 

Easter is a better __________. 

“Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” (verse 44) 

Easter isn’t just a story that he can celebrate. It’s a story …...  

“The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (verse 46-47)   

Easter is a story we can all _____________. 

Ask yourself: What is Jesus saying to me in his Word?   

Discussion questions

Sermon

I gave you this illustration last week. I don’t know if you liked it, no one told me. Easter is like getting a letter from a legitimate law firm saying that you are the long lost relative of a very important family. You have just inherited millions.  

That would be a great story.  

It would be a little awkward for sure. I can’t imagine what you would tell your family when you got home. 

The conversation with your friends, that would be pretty fun. Can you imagine saying, Hey everyone, you’ve been great. Thanks for being my friends. I’ll try not to forget you in my life. I’m off to Switzerland for a weekend of business deals and skiing! I’ll see you in Congress someday! 

Can you imagine telling your boss, hey boss, thanks for all the opportunities and encouragement you gave me. I’m sorry I can’t teach the 4th graders anymore. I’ve got to go be the VP for business development for this big fortune 500 company.  

What a great story! That would be a crazy story! 

As far as I can tell, there is just one problem. Your story doesn’t do a thing for me.  

If you get a letter saying you’re part of an important family and you’re suddenly rich, and I’m your friend, how does that help me?  

If you’re suddenly famous and rich, and I’m your brother, what does that mean about me? 

If I’m your mother and you’re walking out my door because you belong to another mother, where does that leave me? 

Now maybe I can get some money from you. Maybe I get a business reference from you. But I lose you. I still lose out.  

That’s where this illustration breaks down. Easter is a much better story. 

Adventure  

That’s what Jesus wants to give us this week. Jesus wants to give us a better story to celebrate.  

Development 

Today’s event, Jesus showed up in a room with his disciples. He showed them his hands and feet. He was not a ghost or a spirit. He was actually physically alive.  

This is one of those crazy places where Luke is trying to tell us just how different the resurrection of Jesus is. Peter, James, John, and all the other Jewish people had no problem with a resurrection at the end of the world. They believed everyone would rise at the end.  

They also thought there was a life after death. They thought people were spirits or ghosts or something like that.  

What they didn’t believe, no one believed that people rise from the dead. They never thought Jesus would show up with a body. Suddenly they saw this once dead now living man.  

Jesus changed the entire story. He said, “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” (verse 44)  

You’ve got to know how weird this is. If you read the Old Testament and you’ve got this verse in mind, you won’t read the name Jesus one time. I know the name Joshua is the same root as Jesus, but you won’t find the name Jesus.  

If you read the Old Testament, you won’t hear about a cross.  

If you read the Old Testament, you won’t read about a soldier and an empty tomb.  

What you will find is an endless string of birds and sheep and cows sacrificed.  

What you will find is a prophet who leads his people to the promised land.  

What you will find a slave who sets people free.  

What you will find is a servant who saves people.  

What you will find is a king who reigns forever.  

What you will find is the mighty made low, the humble raised up, and the dead coming to life.  

What you will find is a story to celebrate. What Jesus has done, he has said, No matter how bad things are. No matter how sick people are. No matter how poor people are. No matter how confused people are. No matter how many people die … you should celebrate.  

This is the thing... God has said, no matter how much hell demands from you, I’ve given more. No matter how much death asks of you, I’ve answered more. No matter how much sin steals from you, I’ve handed out more.  

The real stories, the deep stories .... the “if we serve we can succeed”. The “if we sacrifice someone can prevail”. The “if we give generously, we will reap richly”. Easter says celebrate ... because they’re true.  

They won’t be true for you if you don’t trust him. But Easter says they can be true because of him for all of you.  

That’s what Easter. It’s a story we can celebrate. And unlike the story of ancient Israel, it’s a story for all of us, for you.  

Because Easter is only kind of like the letter from the law firm. Easter is more like a story of Pheidippedes. In 490 BC a man named Pheidippides ran about 150 miles from the city of Marathon to the city of Sparta. He needed to ask the Spartans for help to fight the Persians. He then turned around and ran back. He ran 300 miles over a few days! But that isn’t the run that made him famous. Because a little while later the Greeks won the battle at Marathon, he ran the 26 miles from Marathon to Athens. He announced “Joy, we win!” Pheidippides - Wikipedia  

What did he make for us? The marathon. Do you know how many people’s lives he changed with that run? Millions and millions have people run the race people will call “the best and most rewarding type of pain out there” What Does it Feel Like to Run a Marathon? The No BS Truth - Better Than Alive “Running has given me so much … I can’t wait to do this again.” What It Feels Like to Run Your First Marathon | Marathon Training Academy. Millions of people run races because of him.  

I bet a lot of you would say, I would never run a marathon. I bet there are only one or two people in this whole room who have in the past or would in the future run a marathon.  

But the point of the illustration is this:  

 “The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (verse 46-47)  

Jesus both suffered and rose. He is the one person who both lost and won all by himself.  

Ever since the first human beings, Adam and Eve, some people suffered and some people succeeded. Some people won and some people lost. Cain lived and Abel died. Abraham grew rich and Lot became corrupt. Jacob got the birthright and Esau lost out. The Hebrews were enslaved, the Egyptians walked free. Achan went down, Joshua rose up. Saul lost the crown, David gained the throne. The Israelites went into exile, the Assyria captured them.  

And this continues even today. The Germans lost WW2, the Americans won. The Republicans lost the elections, the Democrats won. The Democrats lost the election, the Republicans won.  

Pheidippedes is one of those rare stories where the same guy lost and won. Because he ran this great race that has changed human history, giving millions of people the inspiration to get healthy and do more. But even he died.  

Jesus is the only one who first died then rose. He has completely shifted the story. His story is the only one where people are both losers and winners.  

The death and resurrection of Jesus is the one event that tells each and every one of us we are both more sinful, broken, and corrupt than we imagine and we are more forgiven, loved, and accepted than we could possibly believe. 

For any of us to come after him, we must practice both repentance and the forgiveness. All of us. All of the time.  

I can’t help but think of the example of Corrie ten Boom. I think I’ve mentioned it before because it’s just so powerful. She and her sisters were prisoners at the German war camp Ravensbruck during WW2. Her sister Betsie died there.  

After the war, she became an active evangelist and went to Germany to proclaim the gospel. A guard came up to her one day after a talk. He asked, “A fine message, Fraulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea! ... I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein, will you forgive me?” 

And her response is beautiful. If you have a chance, look it up sometime. In short, she said, “I stood there—I whose sins had again and again been forgiven—and could not forgive. Betsie had died in that place. .... Then she prayed “Jesus, help me!” .... And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. “I forgive you, brother!” I cried. “With all my heart!” . . . I had never known love so intensely, as I did then. But even then, I realized it was not my love . . . It was the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Scott Sauls, A Gentle Answer, Thomas Nelson, 2020, pp.19-20) 

Easter is a story we can all celebrate because Easter says the only way we can get in is both repentance and forgiveness. There is not a neighbor … because we all win and lose. Easter is a story we can all celebrate 

Action 

I want you to take this as the greatest story. Here is the next step I want you to learn to ask yourself as we follow Jesus? what is Jesus saying to me in his Word?  

Because the Word of God died to make this story come alive. You are reading the greatest story ever told. No one else has come up with such a marvelous, such a magnificent, such a simple, such a profound, such a humble, such an amazing story.  

And certainly no one else has made it come alive.  

It’s easy to think that pastors have a profound and complicated practice of reading this great story. I don’t. My regular practice of reading is pretty simple. I read 2 chapters. I write down one verse that I notice. I explain the verse. I apply verse. I respond to the verse. 

I can’t tell you how many mornings I have heard this story speak to me. I know I ask many of you what is Jesus saying to you in his Word and maybe you don’t feel like you have a good answer. If I have something to say, it’s not because of a great seminary education.  

I know how much some of you love a good story. Easter is a story we can all celebrate 

Repentant Hands

Luke 18:9-14

Listening guide

Discussion questions

The Greatest Gift: Responding

Luke 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Listening guide

“May your word to me be fulfilled.”(verse 38) 

Who is this child? son of the Most High God; He will reign on the throne forever.

Whatever you want, I want, God.

Discussion questions

Sermon

I’ve got some presents for you today. I’d like to give you them.  

I brought some trash. That’s for you.  

I’ve got a chocolate bar.  

I’ve got a broken toy 

Give a game  

I’ve got a book 

Give a pandemic 

Give a million dollar 

Did you hear what Mary said about her present? She didn’t say “ewww” and she didn’t say “yay!” either. What did she say?  

“May your word to me be fulfilled.”(verse 38) Do you know what those words mean? They mean, make it happen. Let’s do this. I want what you want, God.  

God has just said to her, I’m going to give you a baby. She doesn’t say, really?. She doesn’t say, “um no”. She doesn’t say hooray. She says, if that’s what you want God, that’s what I want. I want what you want.  

Did you see how much your response changed for each gift I gave? I could almost tell what I gave you by your response. If I gave you a bad gift, you were sad. When I gave you a boring gift, you were annoyed. f I gave you a great gift, you were glad. When I gave you an outrageous gift, you were ecstatic.  

God told Mary, here is my gift to you. Her response tells us so much. This is how you respond if Jesus really is who the angel says he is.  

That doesn’t work for Jesus. You can’t do that with Jesus.  

• The son of the Most High God. That means he is God. He is all powerful, almighty, all knowing, eternal,  

• He will reign on the throne forever. That means he is a king like  

He is God in human flesh. There is no one else in the universe like him.  

Some people say, I don’t have to respond to Jesus. I don’t have to do anything with Jesus. Because Mary lived a long time ago and she was religious like everyone else. It was easy for her but not for us. No one believes that stuff anymore. A man who is God? That doesn’t happen.  

You have to see how hard it was for Mary to believe. When the angel comes to Mary and says a fancy “hello”, Mary was troubled. And not just a little troubled. Mary was greatly troubled. 

Mary was even more confused when the angel told her she would have a baby. She said, how could this happen? She didn’t expect miracles to happen all over the place.  

It’s easy to think, people who lived long ago were simple. They believed in God and supernatural things because they didn’t know how science and the world worked. That wasn’t the case at all. These things didn’t happen. Angels didn’t just start talking to people. Women did not have babies who didn’t have men in their lives.  

You can’t say, thus isn’t going to make a difference because it’s an old fashioned story.  

God is saying to you today, I am putting the most wonderful, beautiful, glorious, and even fun gift in your lap.  

He is also saying, I’m putting the most powerful, the most mighty, the most magnificent force, the most terrifying, and the most destructive force in the whole world in your lap. You have to realize what I’m giving you and respond in the right way. I’d like to give us an example.  

Train I thought it was from my grandpa raising my dad. We figured out this year that it was it was probably my great grandpa who bought it raising my grandpa. I immediately started treating it differently. I resolved right away to get a professional to take it apart and redo the electrical.  

Does that kind of realization happen about Jesus?  

There was a man who was at a conference one time listening to a woman speak.  

The woman said, “If the distance between the Earth and the sun—ninety-three million miles—was no more than the thickness of a sheet of paper, then the distance from the Earth to the nearest star would be a stack of papers seventy feet high; the diameter of the Milky Way would be a stack of paper over three hundred miles high. Keep in mind that there are more galaxies in the universe than we can number. There are more, it seems, than dust specks in the air or grains of sand on the seashores. Now, if Jesus Christ holds all this together with just a word of his power (Hebrews 1:3)—is he the kind of person you ask into your life to be your assistant?” 

That simple logic shattered my resistance to doing what Mary did. Yes, if he really is like that, how can I treat him as a assistant rather than as Supreme Lord? (Tim Keller, Hidden Christmas,  

This child is the greatest gift. He is not the greatest gift because of all the nice things he will do for you, even though they are awesome. He is not the greatest gift because of the help he will give you when life is bad, even though that is great. He is the greatest gift simply because he is the greatest.  

The one thing you can’t say or do, is nothing at all. You either say, no way. I don’t want anything to do with you Jesus. Or you say, I want all of you. Let’s do this. Whatever you want, I want.  

Christmas Eve 2019

Luke 2:11

“Today in the town of a David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” 

Listening guide

The manger is a ___ _____ 

The Christmas message = In Jesus, God became a man. He lived a perfect life and did all the things we need to do. He died a real death for all of us and was punished as we deserve to be. Now, no matter how bad or good you think you are or how bad or good you think life is, and no matter how bad or good everyone else thinks you are or thinks your life is, God promises you, if you admit you are worse off than you imagined and can accept you are better off than you ever thought possible, he comes to you. Jesus comes to you. 

Luke 2:11 “Today in the town of a David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” 

Messiah = ______ ____________ ________ 

John 3:16 = “God so loved the world that he gave his Son” 

Christmas is not a big deal like my babies, but like a gift you want but don’t.  

He makes us a really ______ ____________ and that is how Christmas becomes a big deal for us. 

“Where meek souls will receive him still, The dear Christ enters in.” 

Discussion questions

Sermon

I’m sure some of you know this book cover. (Harry Potter cover)  

I bet all of you know this one.  

I bet some of you know this logo. 

I bet all of you know this one.  

I would be surprised if any of you recognized this. (Chinese calendar) 

All of us know this.  

This is the impact of the manger. There is no greater item that has changed this world. More than 2 billion people tonight and tomorrow celebrate the impact of this (point at the manger). The manager is a big deal.  

Tonight God invites you to be part of this big deal.  

The message of Christmas is simple: In Jesus, God became a man. He lived a perfect life and did all the things we need to do. He died a real death for all of us and was punished as we deserve to be. Now, no matter how bad or good you think you are or how bad or good you think life is, and no matter how bad or good everyone else thinks you are or thinks your life is, God promises you, if you admit you are worse off than you imagined and can accept you are better off than you ever thought possible, he comes to you. Jesus comes to you. I heard a really powerful story that brought this out for me.  

It was the story of Bubba. Bubba’s story goes like this. About ten years ago a couple, I think they were in WI, had a baby. Then they wanted to expand their family and got pregnant again. This time, sadly, she miscarried. She got pregnant a third time and miscarried a second time. Then she miscarried a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, and an eighth time. The couple got involved in a Bible study group at their church.  

And it kept happening. They would announce a pregnancy, except it was hard for them to smile, because they kind of knew what was going to happen again. Their friends prayed for them, and then again, a miscarriage. It would break everyone’s hearts.  

And so when they got pregnant, they didn’t break out the party hats and cake. They held their breath. The weeks went by, then the weeks into months. Then the second trimester, then the third.  

Finally Bubba was born. And everyone said, “Every time I see that kid, it makes me so happy. You’re here. You’re actually with us. Like Jesus.”  

That’s the reality of Christmas. Evil is real. Sin is real. And death is real. The Christmas lights, the presents, the hot cocoa, and the carols don’t take any of that away. It’s just that into this reality comes Jesus. He accepts the sin, the evil, and the death on himself. He confirms to you, absolutely, without a doubt that God loves you.  

That is what this verse says. “Today in the town of a David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”  I would like to direct your attention to that middle title first. Messiah. That word Messiah isn’t Jesus’ last name. That’s a Hebrew word. It’s title. We’ve usually translated it Christ. And the best way we have to speak of it is “the chosen one”. 

So I thought about people we might regularly call “the chosen one”. One person that popped into my mind is Lebron James. Some of you might remember this cover from SI a few years back. He was called “the chosen one”. The experts all saw him play in high school and college and said, he will be the guy to rescue teams.  

The thing is, he isn’t sure who he wants to rescue. He has played now for what, four teams? Okay, three teams four times. Is he really the chosen one? Nothing against Lebron James, but you have to wonder: Is Miami supposed to say “he is the one for us”. The Cavs? The Lakers?  

Jesus only played for one team. Team you. Your team.  

Here is just one verse where the Bible puts this beautifully. “God so loved the world that he gave his Son”. Do you see that word “world”? That means Jesus is on your team. He always has been. He is on your team and your team and your team. He is on our team. See, how do you know you are loved?  

In our house, one part of our division of labor works like this. I make breakfast and my wife makes most of the other meals. That’s a really good thing by the way, you don’t want me cooking most of the time. We’ll often have oatmeal or eggs or yogurt and granola. Those are common Timmermann breakfasts if you ever want to come over.  

I have this terrible habit though at breakfast. I’ll be making some eggs. Fry them all up. We never make less than 6 eggs anymore. Someone is always hungry. They’re done. I take a few out of the pan. Then I leave the pan and walk away. Sometimes my wife wants some eggs, so I’ll get a plate for her. Then a through another 6 eggs in the pan and walk away.  

I think about the first 500 times I did that my wife, understandably, said, what are you doing? Why don’t you ever pick up after yourself?  

I’ve gotten a lot better, thankfully. Otherwise we might need marital counseling. But it still happens. She says nothing. She just puts it all away.  

How do I know I’m loved? She knows my faults, my failures, and my foibles. She experiences them. They cause her pain. She covers over them. She doesn’t just overlook them, but she makes everything right. And she treats me like I didn’t do anything wrong. Like I was right the whole time.  

Do you know what Jesus did for you? “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed.” Jesus knows all your faults, your foibles, and your failures. He experiences them all. They cause him pain and hurt. Still he covers over it all with his life and his death. He makes everything right. And he treats you like you didn’t do anything wrong. He never leaves you no matter what. 

Would you like that much love to be a big deal to you?  

You have to feel the challenge of Christmas.  

It’s really easy to think about Christmas like this. I’ve got a pretty new baby at home. And then on top of it, my kids had their first band concert the other night. So I’ve got all these cute kid memories flying around my life. My wife and I are taking pictures and sending them back and forth. We’re sharing little clips with my parents and grandparents. They make me happy. They make us really happy.  

Here are a few of the pictures. 

A question for you. How happy do my kids make you?  

(laugh a little) It’s kind of a weird question, isn’t it?  

I was thinking about that. Their birth. How many people did their birth actually make happy? I can actually count numerically the people who rejoiced over these babies. There was mom and dad. 4 grandparents. 6 great grandparents. My siblings. My wife’s siblings. I don’t know how many uncles and aunts, cousins. A couple of close friends. I can actually count numerically the number of kids who rejoiced over my kid’s birth. It’s maybe 20, maybe 2 dozen if you really want to be generous. It’s a big deal for me. They make me feel happy. They don’t make you feel loved.  

To know the love of Christmas, you must receive a gift. Imagine you got a copy of the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. How many of you have read that book?  

It’s a great book. Especially if you are trying to improve working relationships – non friendly, business or loose social relationships, it’s really helpful. How would you feel if your mom gave you that book for Christmas?  

You’d probably say, um thanks mom. Yeah, it’s just what I really wanted. Because what does the book say?  

Along with saying I care about you and you are important to me, that gift also says I really hope you get better at winning friends. When you say, “thanks for the gift” you are saying, I could really use some help making friends. Some gifts are hard to receive because to take them is to admit flaws and weaknesses and to say you need help.  

There has never been a gift given that makes you swallow your pride than the gift of Jesus Christ. Christmas means you and I are so lost, so unbale to save ourselves that nothing less than the death of the Son of God could save us. That means you and I are not people who can pull ourselves together and live a good life.  

Once you have this gift, your whole life changes. From the inside. We love the giver of our gifts more than the gifts themselves, because we have the greatest gift. We enjoy the journey of life rather than regret and resist it, because we are his highest joy and delight. We reflect the light of the world rather than our own darkness, because we have been filled with light.  

He makes us a really big deal and that is how Christmas becomes a big deal for us.  

New group and study after Christmas starting January 8th at 6:30.  

“How silently, how silently  

The wondrous gift is given! 

So God imparts to human hearts  

The blessings of his heaven 

No ear may hear his coming 

But in this world of sin 

Where meek souls will receive him still, 

The dear Christ enters in.”  

You're a big deal to him and he'll be your big deal. 

Practices of the Christian life: Repent

Based on Luke 13:1-9

Nathaniel Timmermann

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

1. When was the last time you said, “I’m sorry.” Was that repentance or an apology?

2. What keeps you from repenting or makes repenting hard?

3. Why do you think these people told Jesus about all these tragedies?

4. What was wrong in the thinking of these people, based on Jesus’ question “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way?”

5. When do you most often find yourself comparing yourself to others?

6. What are the two convictions that are part of repentance?

7. Do you regularly repent?

8. Verses 6-9 do not only teach that God is patient toward us. What else do they teach us about God?

9. Are you certain that you will not perish?